It hath pleased me in some sort to runne through the foresaid experiments of water as well for the importance and rarity which they have, as for that it depends upon salt whereof water makes the principall part: and likewise of the sea, from whence separating the sweet substance the salt remains solid congealed; and of this salt resolved by it selfe, to moisture, they extract by distillation the greatest part of sweet water; by meanes whereof, without departure from this subject of salt, it will not be amisse, to touch here something of the Sea, whose water is as a body, the salt enclosed not perceiveable to the sight, but well to the tast, are the vitall spirits, and the oleaginous inflamable substance envelopped within the salt; the soule and the life of the nature of aire, or of wind; remember because wind is my life. There are then two substances in the Sea, and by consequent in salt; the one liquid, and volatile, which ascends upward, and is double, water namely and oile; the one and the other sweet and fresh: And the other fix, and solid, which is bitter and salt; wherefore it was that _Homer_ called the _Ocean_ the father of Gods and of men, for by stretching out of all side crossewise, the Conduits and spongiosities of the earth which hee holds encompassed round about; as a dry hanging on to some rock there within by a providence of nature is made a separation of substances of the fresh, namely, and of the salt: for the Marine water, passeth through these Conduits, they unsalt it, even as they should distill it by an _Alembic_ or _Cornue_, or as one should passe it through sand many times, part whereof should remaine baked in the earth for the production and nouriture of vegetables: part passeth through springs, wells, and fountaines, whence all flouds and rivers are formed, _Eccles._ 1.7. _All rivers runne into the Sea, yet the Sea is not full, unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they returne againe._ And part elevates it selfe aloft, by meanes of the Sun and starres, which draw and suck them, as well for their nouriture, as for the formation of raines, snowes, hailes, and other aqueous expressions in the aire. The salt which is more grosse, heavy and terrestriall remains invisqued in the veines, and conduits of the earth, where heat inclosed bakes it, digests, alters, and changes it into another nature for the production of all sorts of Minerals, by meanes of the portion of fresh water mingled therewith, which dissolves and washeth off these salts, so that finally, having been brought to their last perfection according to natures intention, shee enformes that which shee hath determined. The Sea then is not so barren and unfruitfull as some poets and Philosophers have made it; _Plato_ himselfe, in his _Phedon_, where he saith, that nothing could be there procreated worthy of _Jupiter_: because all the Animals procreated therein are wild, untameable and indocill, and in which there is neither amity nor sweetnesse.